Thanks to the hosting organization – Netinaction – 6 people from Spain spent 10 days of September in a youth exchange in a beautiful small village of Barbarolo, Italy. The project gathered 30 participants from 5 countries: Italy, Bulgaria, Denmark, France and Spain. A distant place like this with no Internet connection (which at first seemed quite scary to everyone) was actually a perfect youth exchange spot, where we could devote all our time and energy to the activities.

The title of the youth exchange – ¨No h8 just sk8 on the road¨ – promised time involving a lot of movement and activities aimed at sharing knowledge on skating and promoting tolerance. The programme included for example a street art workshop, where we could reflect on the meaning and power of street art through drama, or the workshop at which we created our own t-shirts that we later wore for the final event. What is more, we used the time in Italy to share our knowledge on different sports including skateboarding and scootering as well as football, parcoure and dancing, thanks to which many of us have improved their skills or have tried something completely new.

Besides, divided in groups for each day, we had to prepare food for everyone. It was a bit of a challenge, especially for those less experienced in cooking, but at the same time it was a useful experience, as many of us have learnt simple and fast recipes. It was also a great opportunity to work on organisation and cooperation skills. Finally, we had 5 different national evenings, which included food (we made amazing paella!), games and presentations of the countries.

The last two days were spent on creating and practicing our choreography for the final event, which took place in Bologna during a street food festival. Our show included music, street football show and a dance. The main aim – working together and learning new things – has been definitely fulfilled. We made new friends, improved our personal and sports skills, learnt more about participating countries, practiced English a lot and visited beautiful places – all that you can expect from a youth exchange.